Daytripping Teresa, Rizal

It was just a day trip yet a very meaningful one. One you wish could be done more often, another place very near the city.

Merely 32 kilometers away from the city of Manila by land transportation, Teresa, Rizal envisions itself to be a progressive, peaceful and ecologically balance community.

For a different tourism experience this quaint little town boasts of its Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWF), St. Martha's Farm and Teresa Orchard.

A small pond at the ISWF

Of the three, we side-tripped by the ISWF back in 2008. Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro benchmarked with Teresa, Rizal in establishing their own facility. The products made in the facility were supposed to be featured on entrepjournal.blogspot.com, but I changed my mind, hehe.

Organic Fertilizer production from municipal waste

Concrete products with plastics and other non-biodegradable materials

The organic fertilizer

Their version of charcoal briquettes

Garden bricks

Views such as these and the photos above provide you that quiet, laid-back provincial feeling after a short ride away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

While looking at these great views of the mountain, you then realize you are standing in a plantation of vegetables.

These vegetables are grown using organic fertilizers from the town's garbage collection.

Vegetables vines that seem to reach out to the heavens above.

Photographing the photographer. This is Ate Luz.

This is just a side trip so I'll be taking you little by little to why I came to be in this place back then.

Her view of the mountain. I don't know if this is natural stone exposed or was this a quarry/mine as industrial companies such as Republic Cement Corporation (La Farge Cement Corp.), Teresa Marble Corporation and ABC Corporation are located in this town.

The nursery

Mitchshelle 

The vegetation/greeneries are very healthy here mainly due to organic fertilizer application.

Photographers in action

Members of the photography group flickristasindios (who organized the activity that resulted to this side trip) take the opportunity to shoot vegetables.

Sunscreened

More of the vegetable plantation

Children enjoying the swing

Miss Earth 2008 candidates visited this place as part of their activities. Mitch poses like a contestant here.

Beautiful flowers surround the ISWF

More flowers

We snacked on corn

And peanuts

Aside from the goto which we ate halfway with the kids. It was partnered with gulaman

Kuya Jojo, a ninuno, (what we flickristasindios call our leaders) talks to the kids, their parents and teachers

Now for the real reason for that day trip, was the flickristasindios, the Children International - Philippines Housing Foundation, Inc. and Pantay Elementary School's Book Sharing Project. I remembered posting this as Mitch was talking of an outreach activity during the first mamam session as she returned from her visit to Kuya Jojo and Ate Lani in China.

Angge, does a bookreading session with the kids as part of the program 

The happy beneficiary-kids with Kuya Jo and the Pinoy Explorer

At the gates of Pantay Elementary School